Black Holes

The year 2019 saw several advances in our understanding of black holes.

It also saw the first direct imaging of a black hole.

Christina Koch

NASA Astronaut Christina Koch has broken Peggy Whitson's space endurance record.

She is due home February 6.

Hypersonic Weapons

Russia says it has operational hypersonic weapons that can defeat missile defense systems.

China and the U. S. are also working on such weapons.

Long March 5

China launched its huge Long March 5 rocket yesterday.

It was the first such launch since a 2017 failure and subsequent redesign.

ISS

According to reports, a recent North Korean missile test narrowly missed ISS.

If those reports are accurate, a close call could not have been totally accidental.

Apollo

Apollo just keeps on giving.

NASA is releasing lunar soil samples collected by Apollo astronauts to a new generation of scientists armed with knowledge and technology barely imagined fifty years ago.

UFOs

According to reports citing declassified British files, both China and Russia have lost pilots who were chasing UFOs.

There are also stories of lost American pilots.

Glitch

Soon after launch yesterday morning. a software problem put Boeing's Starliner capsule in the wrong orbit.  It will not dock with ISS.

Starliner is now scheduled to land in New Mexico Sunday.

Starliner

Boeing's Starliner successfully launched to ISS this morning.

Next year, it's scheduled to begin carrying astronauts.

Yutu 2

China's Yutu 2 rover has set a record for the longest operating rover on the Moon.

It has been operating for 11 months.

Life

A new study suggests life in the outter Solar System would be unrelated to life on Earth.

Two independent developments of life in the same solar system would strongly argue life is common in the universe.

Martian Water

A new study by NASA has produced a global map of water distribution on Mars.

The map will be used to help pick landing sites for human missions.

UFO

Canadian UFOlogist Chris Rutkowski has donated 30,000 UFO documents to the University of Manitoba at Winnipeg.

The collection includes many documents related to the famed Falcon Lake Incident.

Space Force

President Trump signed orders creating the U. S. Space Force this week.

It's an acknowledgement that space is fast becoming a major potential war theater.

AI

NASA is using artificial intelligence techniques to search for ET life and asteroids.

Machine learning and big data mining help scientists ferret out useful information.

Neutron Star

Scientists have found a neutron star with a mysteriously twisted magnetic field.

Sunspots, on a far smaller scale, are the result of similar twisting..

Odo

Rene' Auberjonois, the actor who played Odo in STAR TREK: DEEP SPACE NINE, died Sunday.

He was 79.

Tiger Stripes

New research into the so-called tiger stripes on Saturn's moon Enceladus suggests Saturn's gravity sttetches the moon and have opened the stripes, which are fissures in the surface.

Enceladus' famed geyser plumes erupt from the tiger stripes.

FAST

China's FAST telescope, the world's largest single dish radio telescope, has nearly completed three years of testing.

In addition to traditional radio astronomy, FAST will also be used for SETI searches.

Apollo 17

Forty-seven years ago today, Apollo 17 launched to the Moon.

No human has been beyond low Earth orbit since.

Dorothy Catherine Fontana

Writer/producer D. C. Fontana has died.  She was 80.

Fontana was probably best known for her work on the various iterations of STAR TREK.

Dust Towers

New research suggests  huge dust towers on Mars-- storms similar to Earthly thunderstorms-- could have played a part in the Martian atmosphere losing irs water vapor.

The theory is that dust towers lift water vapor high into the atmosphere where it can escape into space.

Minimoon

Researchers think a recent fireball seen over Australia was a nunimoon entering Eaeth's atmosphere.

A minimoon is a body that temporarily orbits Earth.

The Universe

Most physicists think the universe is flat, but new data suggests it could be curved.

A flat universe would expand forever, whereas a curved one would contract into a Big Crunch.

Black Hole

Researchers have found a black hole in one galaxy is influencing star formation in galaxies a million light years away.

Black holes emit jets of energy from their poles, and that energy produces shock waves when it encounters matter.  Compressed gas leads to star formation.

Ticket To Ride

NASA is looking at buying a ticket on a private mission to ISS for one of its astronauts.

The mission would last 15-30 days.  NASA wants to examine the effects of spaceflight of various lengths.

Space Economy

NASA is trying to help create a space economy by bringing small, New Space companies into its lunar project.

The companies point out, however, that they will need more customers than NASA to make a go of it.

2020

SETI researchers surveyed say 2020 probably will not be the year we find ET.

They do say, however, that we are likely getting close.

RNA

A new study has found the sugar component of RNA in meteorites believed to be older than Earth itself.

The find strengthens the case that life may have come to Earth from elsewhere.

Ice Fossils

Scientists have found ice fossils in a meteorite.

The fossils tell them about the earliest period in planetary formation.

Lunar Swirls

Features called "swirls" on the lunar surface arre associated with localized magnetospheres.

Because that increased magnetism blocks cosmic rays, lunar swirls might be good places for human outposts.

Life

Scientists now think an Earth-like planet could support life even if the system also contains a giant planet in a wildly eccentric orbit.

The more we learn, the more likely life becomes.

Reality

Some theoretical physicists are questioning whether objective reality exists at all.

It's a quantum theory thing.

Tic Tac II

Commander David Fravor, leader of the squadron that encountered the Tic Tac UFO, says no "unknown individuals" were involved after the incident.

That contradicts reports of five other Navy officers who were on scene at the time.

Tic Tac

Several U. S. Navy officers on scene at the time are now saying "unknown individuals" ordered  data about the so-called Tic Tac UFO to be handed over to them and wiped from all records.

The appearance of such people is common in the UFO literature.

Neptune

Researchers have found the two innermost moons of Neptune follow orbits  that interact with each other.

At times, the two small moons come within 2,000 miles of each other.

Brain Changes

A new study suggests long-duration spaceflight may alter the structure and functioning of the human brain.

There is no indication whether the changes are permanent.

Perspective

Walmart reported quarterly revenues of $128 billion this morning.

That's six times NASA's current annual budget.

Martian Oxygen

A new study suggests oxygen levels spike in Mars' atmosphere in the summer,  similar to the behavior of methane levels there.

That is suggestive of life, but not determinative.

Apollo 12

Fifty years ago, Apollo 12 launched on the second lunar landing mission.  Struck by lightning seconds after liftoff. the mission continued to the Moon.

Pete Conrad and Alan Bean executed the second manned lunar landing.

ISS

A quartet of U. S. Senators are proposing extending ISS to 2030.

Currently, it's due to be decommissioned by 2024.

TESS

NASA's TESS planet hunting spacecraft have so far identified about 1,200 exoplanet candidates, of which 29 have been confirmed.

NASA expects TESS to find about 10,000 worlds.

India

India is looking at flying a Venus orbiter.

The mission could launch as soon as 2023.

NoKo Missiles

North Korea has started testing missiles once again.

So far, according to reports, the tests seem to involve only short range missiles.

Discovering ET

Scientists are beginning to think that establishing the existence of ET life may take time even after initial positive indications.

They see discovery as a process, not an event.

Voyagers

Scientists estimate they will only remain in contact with the two Voyager probes now in interstellar space another five years.

Currently, both probes are still functioning after 42 years.

Spacebit

Spacebit, a startup company, is planning to land a swarm of tiny, legged robots on the Moon in 2021.

The rovers, controlled by AI, will be able to explore places wheeled rovers cannot, like lava tubes.

Planetary Defense

NASA is pushing to have a new near-Earth object hunting telescope launched by 2025.

So far, NASA estimates that only about 35% of NEOs big enough to truly threaten Earth have been identified.

Plutoo Orbiter?

NASA is looking at a possible Pluto orbiter.

No commitment has been made, however.

Interstellarr Space

A group-of scientists is urging NASA to build a mission to go into interstellar space.

They argue learning about interstellar space is important, and that such a mission would give us a new perspective on the Solar System.

X-37b

The USAF's X-37b is back on Earth after 730 days in space.

What it does out there is a secret.

To The Stars

To The Stars Academy has a new five-year contract with the U. S. Army to develop new technology.

TTSA also studies UFOs.

Stock

Virgin Galactic is becoming the first space tourism company to offer publicly traded stock.

The ticker symbol is SPCE.

Virgin Galactic

Virgin Galactic is aiming to begin commercial flights in June.

Tickets have cost $250,000.

ET

A few scientists engaged in the search for life in the cosmos predicted at a recent conference how soon we might find ET.

Their predictions ranged from 5 to 20 years.

Intelligence

Some biologists argue that human level intelligence is rare-- or unique-- in the universe because the evolutionary path leading to it is so improbable.

Of course, they're arguing from one example, Earth.  That's not a strong position.

Venus

Scientists are pressing NASA to go back to Venus.

They argue that, among other things, understanding how similar, or not, Earth and Venus were early on could be useful.

Artemis

Jeff Bezos has announced the corporate team that will help Blue Origin to build NASA's Artemis Moon lander.

They are Draper, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman.

Mars

NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said recently the first human on Mars might be a woman.

While every astronaut should have a shot at that assignment when it comes up, the fact that he made the statement now tells us more about the politics of today than ir does about future events on Mars.

Peregrine

Astrobotic, a small New Space company, plans to put its Peregrine lander on the Moon in 2021.

Peregrine will also carry two tiny rovers, one from Japan and one from the UK.

Howe

UFO researcher Linda Moulton Howe is still predicting governments of the world will openly admit aliens exist by the end of 2020.

Of course, she also believes, among other things, that humans already have interstellar travel.

Rockets

The first launch of NASA's huge new SLS rocket, now set for next year, may slip into mid-2021.

By then, SpaceX's huge, powerful, reusable Starship rocket could be flying.

Gamma-ray Bursts

Researchers studying gamma-ray bursts have found a time-reversed pattern within the bursts.

That pattern may involve plasma traveling faster than light.

Venus

New research suggests Venus was never very Earth-like, after all.

It seems Venus may have been a volcanic, pretty hellish place right along.

Yeager

On this date in 1947, Chuck Yeager became the first pilot to break the sound barrier.

It was a big step towards space as it showed pilots could deal with extremely high speeds.

Leonov

Alexei Leonov, the first man to walk in space, has passed away.

He was 85.

Crew Dragon

SpaceX may fly its Crew Dragon to ISS early next year.

Ir would be the company's first manned spaceflight.

Odd Stuff

Last month in Chile, fiery objects fell from the sky.

The objects weren't meteors, but what they were is not yet clear.

NGTS-10n

Astronomers have found a hot Jupiter, NGTS-10b, that orbits its star in only 18 hours.

That orbit is decaying, and the planet will eventually fall into the star.

82 Moons

Astronomers have found 20 more moons of Saturn, giving the planet 82.

Jupiter, so far, has 79.

Quantum Stuff

Physicists have successfullly conducted an experiment showing molecules, not just particles, can be in two places at oncr.

Bringing quantum theory into the macroworld opens fascinating possibilities.

NASA-JAXA

Japan and the US plan to cooperate on lunar exploration.

Joint missions could include flights to the Gateway and lunar surface expeditions.

Blue Origins

Blue Origins is now saying it's unlikely the company will fly commercial missions this year.

BO plans to offer suborbital flights to the public.

Enceladus

Using Cassini data, scientists have found more organic compounds in the geyser plumes of Saturn's moon Enceladus.

The compounds are precursors to amino acids.

PBH?

Two physicists are arguing there may not be a Planet 9 deep in our solar system, but there may be a prunordial black hole.

The PBH would be about the size of a grapefruit with several times the mass of Earth.

Asteroid Water

A new study suggests there could be tons of water in asteroids that are easier to reach than the Moon.

That would be a big plus for the settlement of space.

Musk

Elon Musk says his Starship could be flying to orbit in 6 months.

He also repeated the ultimate goal of building Starship is to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars.

South Pole-Aitken

The largest crater on the Moon,  the South Pole-Aitken basin, was thought to be the result of a collision with a huge, fast object.  A direct hit.

A new study, however, casts doubt on that scenario.  Scientists are searching for an alternative.

Starship

Elon Musk is scheduled to unveil the latest prototype of his Starship rocket tomorrow.

It could be flying commercially in 2021.

Technostructures

Astronomers are looking for technosignatures-- evidence of technological civilizations-- among the stars.

These could range from radio signals to the chemical composition of atmospheres to lasers to megastructures.

Spacesuit

NASA is on track to test its new lunar surface spacesuit on ISS in 2023.

The next lunar landing is scheduled for late 2024.

Contract

Lockheed Martin has secured a $4.6 billion contract from NASA to build moonships.

The target year for the next crewed lunar landing is 2024.

Area 51

Thousands were supposed to storm Area 51 this past weekend.

Only about 200 showed up, and there was no storming.

Kaku

Michio Kaku says the U. S. Navy's admission that some UFOs are real flips the burden from people having to prove UFOs are real to the government having to prove they're not.

He says we have reached a tipping point.

Lunar Find

China's lunar rover has come across an odd substance on the far side of the Moon.

Exactly what it is remains open.

Asteroid Dust

New research suggests dust from an asteroid collision could have helped ignite the explosion of life on Earth that occurred 466 million years ago.

That explosion led to life colonizing the land.

UFOs

According to Tucker Carlson, the US Navy has confirmed to senators that its UFO videos are real.

The USN says it doesn't know what the objects are.

Timetable

NASA aims to land astronauts on the Moon in the second half of 2024.

Given the work that needs to be done before any landing, meeting that target will be a challenge.

Interstellarr Comet

Scientists likely have found their first interstellar comet cutting through this solar system.

They'll be able to study it for more than a year.

Expandable Module

NASA is ground testing Bigelow Aerospace's giant expandable space station module.

BA is targeting the module for NASA's proposed lunar gateway, for starters.

Flashing Black Hole

Astronomers have found a black hole in a distant galaxy that flashes 100 times brighter every nine hours.

They don't know how.

Io

Researchers suggest Io might not have a subsurface magma after all.

They say Io's atmosphere's interaction with Jupiter's magnetosphere could account for the moon's volcannsm.

K2 18b

Scientists have found a world about 110 light years away, K2 18b, that has water vapor, and possibly even water rain, in its atmosphere.

It's also in the habitable zone of its red dwarf.

Asteroids

Three asteroids whipped past Earth yesterday.

None came closer than the Moon.

Strange Pattern

Astronomers have found a strange pattern in X-ray bursts coming from a neutron star.

The best explanation is that the neutron star is in a binary system, and its partner is tugging on it, creating a regular wobble.

India

India's first attempt to land on the Moon has apparently failed.

There was a loss of signal, which likely resulted from a crash.

Dorian

NASA reports no damage to the Kennedy Space Center from Hurricane Dorian.

Dorian is now bedeviling North Carolina.

2000 QW7

A huge asteroid, 2000 QW7,  will come within 3 million miles of Earth next week.

Were it to hit Earth,  it would cause a major catastrophe.

Tiny Explorers

Researchers are building insect-sized robots that could explore other worlds in swarms.

They could jump or fly, depending on the world.

Hurricane Dorian

NASA is shutting down the Kennedy Space Center until Hurricane Dorian passes.

The famed VAB is being used to shelter important equipment.

Volcanic Exomoon

Scientists think they have found an exomoon covered by volcanoes and flowing lava.

The exomoon is 550 light years away.

Arecibo

NASA is awarding a $19 million grant that will keep the Arecibo Observatory studying near-Earth asteroids.

The grant will also support STEM education in Puerto Rico.

Cislunar Competition

The Pentagon is gearing up to operate in cislunar space.

The move is largely in response to plans by China.

Interference

The Sun will be between Earth and Mars for the next ten days, interfering with communication with the various probes on Mars.

NASA will ease off during the period.

Identity Politics

NASA says at least one of the crew landing on the Moon in 2024 will be a woman.

OPINION: Selection of the crew should be merit-based.  If that resulted in an all female crew, fine.  If it resulted in a mixed gender crew, fine.  If it resulted in an all male crew, fine.

UFOs

According to UFOlogists, the number of UFO reports have increased over the past few years.

That wouldn't be obvious from mainstream media reports.

Bopdiversity

A new study suggests other worlds may be better suited to support life than Earth is, and may, therefore, have greater biodiversity.

The study used computer modeling and focused on the role oceans can play.

Mega Worlds

Astronomers may have found a second planet in the Beta Pictoris system that u nine times more massive than Jupiter.

Beta Pictoris is about 63.4 light years away.

Gingerich

Newt Gingerich is proposing the U. S. Government establish a prize for the first American company to put a privately-funded crewed outpost on the Moon.

The prize would be $2 billion.

Nuclear Thernal Propulsion

NASA is pursuing nuclear thermal propulsion, which could cut flight times to Mars in half.

The technology could also deflect asteroids threatening Earth.

Lunar Gateway

NASA is asking for proposals from private industry to build spacecraft ti deliver cargo to the Lunar Gateway.

Maximum value for a winning contract will be $7 billion.

Titsn

Scientists think there might be a few worlds in our Solar System capable of supporting life.

Titan may be the most intriguing.  Life there would be on an entirely different chemical basis.

Phobos

On this date in 1877, American astronomer Asaph Hall, from the U. S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D. C., discovered the Martian moon, Phobos.

Today, the Naval Observatory is the official residence of the vice president of the United States.

Mauna Kea

Observations will resume shortly on Hawaii's Mauna Kea.

Astronomer have halted work on the mountain for four weeks in deference to Native Hawaiian groups protesting the construction of another huge telescope on their sacred mountain.

WOW!

On this date in 1977, Ohio State's Big Ear radio telescope came across the now famous WOW! signal.

To this day, the signal has not been explained naturally.

Martian Methane

Scientists have largely ruled out wind erosion as the cause of the spikes of methane in Mars atmosphere.

They still can't explain the spikes, which could possibly be a sign of life.

Vela

Neutron stars sometimes glitch-- speed up their rotation.

Astronomers have now established that Vela, a famous neutron star, also slows down before it speeds up.

Nuclear Power

A nuclear reactor meant to power human bases on the Moon and Mars could be ready for a test flight in three years.

It has already passed a ground test.

Dark Matter

A new study suggests dark matter may have existed before the Big Bang.

That would be something.

Swapping Comets

In a new study, Robert Zubrin says that both life and mass extinctions could have been brought to Earth by comets from other stars..

Zubrin postulates that as the Sun moves through the galaxy it swaps comets with other stars, and some of those alien comets smack into Earth.

Of Mice And Humans

A new study suggests space radiation will pose a significant risk to the brains of Mars bound humans.

The study was carried out using mice.

Ice

Scientists think there are large amounts of water ice in shallow craters on both the Moon and Mercury.

The water near the lunar south  pole may be enough to sustain extensive long-term lunar exploration.

Curiosity

Curiosity landed on Mars this date in 2012.

Since then, it has made major contributions to our understanding of the Red Planet.

ET

Scientists say that to really search for life beyond Earth, we must look for life that has different chemistries than our own.

They suggest we should find life within a few decades.

Alien Lasers

Breakthrough Listen is doing more to find alien civilizations than listening for radio signals.

It's also looking for laser beams among the stars.

Life

Scientists using computer modeling say life could even exist on ice worlds.

The vaunted habitable zone has become merely a starting place.

GJ 357 d

Astronomers have found a super Earth that could support life.

GJ 357 d is 31 light years away.

Lunar Profits

NASA is charged with returning to the Moon by 2024, but private companies are also targeting lunar projects.

Such for-profit efforts could drive a maturation of space law.

Skylights

NASA and others are looking at "skylights" on the Moon-- open pits that could lead to underground lava tubes-- as possible keys to lunar colonization.

Huge underground lava tubes could provide an environment free of temperature swings and safe from radiation.

Planetary Defense

Over the last few days, a potential city-killer asteroid narrowly missed Earth, and a smaller asteroid smacked into the Atlantic.  Neither was detected before it would've been too late.

They're more reminders that planetary defense is essential.

Missiles

Both Iran and North Korea have test fired short range missiles this week.

The launches are seen as provocative in the West.

iSpace

The Chinese firm iSpace successfully put a satellite into orbit today.

It's the first "private" Chinese company to do so.

LightSail2

The Planetary Society's LightSail2 has successfully deployed its sail.

Now, the objective is to demonstrate spacecraft can be propelled by light.

India

India successfully launched its second probe to the Moon recently.

The probe contains a rover set to explore the south polar region and its water deposits.

Expanding Universe

It seems the expansion rate of the universe is open to question.

A new study using red giant stars as markers rather than Cepheid variables has yielded a slightly different rate.

White House

At the White House yesterday, Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins told President Trump he preferred Mars Direct as America's next move in manned space, while his old crewmate Buzz Aldrin favors a return to the Moon, then on to Mars.

That's America.

China Moon

China plans to build a robotic research station on the Moon, probably in the southern polar region.

The station could be operational by 2030.

Msuna Kea

All the observatories on Mauna Kea are shut down as Native Hawaiian groups protest the construction of yet another observatory on the volcano.

Native Hawaiian culture holds the mountain to be sacred.

X-15

On this date in 1962, Bob White flew his X-15 to an altitude of about 50 miles, a record.

White was awarded his astronaut wings.

Apollo 11

Today is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11.

A thousand years from now, that will be remembered.

Russia

Russia successfully launched the SPECTR-RG probe last week.

The probe will make an X-ray survey of the sky.

India

India is scheduled to launch a probe to the Moon on Monday.

It also plans to put humans into space in 2022.

No-Spin Universe

Science now has good evidence that the universe as a whole does not spin.

That's good to know if you're a cosmologist.

Lunar Lasers

Perhaps the simplest way to prove that men actually landed on the Moon is to note they set up lasers on the surface to measure the exact distance between Earth and the Moon.

Those lasers are still functioning.

Simulating Titan

Researchers are simulating the environment of Titan in glass cylinders in order to learn more about it.

The same technique could be used for other worlds.

VG

Virgin Galactic is planning to go public.

VG also plans to begin commercial flights this year.

Supermassive Black Holes

Scientists are postulating that the supermassive black holes powering quasars formed directly from huge clouds of gas.

They formed too early in the history of the universe to be the end results of giant stars.

Trump and UFOs

President Trump told Tucker Carlson that he has been briefed on UFOs, but he didn't want to get into the details.

Mr. Trump said he was skeptical on the matter.

Life In Enceladus?

Researchers estimate the ocean under the icy shell of Enceladus may be the perfect age to support life.

The research is based on computer simulations.

Aphelion

Believe it or not, Earth is at its farthest from the Sun for the year today.  It's called aphelion.

The northern hemisphere is hot now because Earth's axis is tilted toward the Sun, so the north gets more concentrated sunlight.

Trump and UFOs

Tucker Carlson says he asked President Trump about UFOs during their interview in South Korea earlier this week.

That part of the interview will air shortly.

World UFO Day

Today is World UFO Day.

This year, with continuing reports about the Pentagon's UFO program, and other reports, some UFOlogists feel a momentum is building towards a breakthrough.

Metallic Hydrogen

French researchers say they have created metallic hydrogen in the lab.

Physicists think metallic hydrogen exists deep in the atmospheres of planets like Jupiter.

Heracles

An international robotic program named Heracles will send rovers to the Moon to search out sites for future manned landings and gather samples to be sent to Earth.

Heracles is a joint effort of ESA, Canada, and Japan.

Drones

NASA is planning to send drones to other worlds.

It plans to have a small  helicopter on Mars in 2021  and a flyer dubbed Dragonfly in the skies of Titan in 2034.

HBO

HBO is airing a new version of the 1998 series "From The Earth To The Moon."

It begins next month.

MUFON

The same month humans first landed on the Moon, the Mutual UFO Network was formed.

MUFON has yet to find aliens, but it's still trying.

Successful Launch

SpaceX successfully launched 24 satellites into orbit last night atop a Falcon Heavy rocket.

Engines of the rocket had been previously used.

Life

New research suggests that the radiation and light emitting from the area surrounding a supermassive black hole could encourage the formation of the building blocks of life, and even support photosynthesis.

Again, the possible arena of life has vastly expanded.

Uranus' Rings

Astronomers have found the rings of Uranus are warmer than expected.

No one knows why.

UFOs

Reports say the Pentagon briefed senators on UFO sightings yesterday.

This follows reports of incidences by Navy pilots.

Teegarden's Star

Astronomers have found two Earth-like planets orbiting Teegarden's Star, a red dwarf 12.5 light years away.

The planets are also in the star's habitable zone.

A New Physics

Physicists know our current physics is, at best, incomplete, which means our cosmology is off.

They are therefore looking for hints that will point them towards a New Physics.

Fresh Water

NASA and partners are tracking fresh water through its cycle on Earth.

Understanding fresh water's role in the environment is critical.

New Crater

NASA has a spectacular image of a fresh crater on Mars.

Hundreds of small craters are created by incoming meteors each year on Mars.

Harry Reid

Former senator Harry Reid is calling on Congress to hold public hearings on UFOs.

Reid represented Nevada, home of Area 51.  He also helped establish the Pentagon's recently acknowledged UFO investigation program.

Artemis Money

NASA is estimating the Artemis program, including landing astronauts on the Moon by 2024, could cost taxpayers between $20 and $30 billion.

That's well less than the overall cost of ISS, for example.

Alien Life

A new study cuts down the areas in which complex life forms could develop.

It might, therefore, limit the number of homes for intelligent life.

DFD

The Direct Fusion Drive could cut flight times and power deep space probes as early as 2028.

It could also power space stations and bases on the Moon and Mars.

Alpha Centauri

Astronomers are closely studying the Alpha Centauri system in search of another planet.

The search is just beginning.

Landing Sites

The first companies to land instruments on the Moon as part of the Artemis program are selecting landing sites.

For safety, all three sites are in the smooth northern plains of the near side.

Higgs

Physicists are looking for an even heavier version of the Higgs boson particle.

If it exists, the heavy Higgs could be key to a new understanding of the universe.

Commercializing ISS

NASA is turning its share of ISS over to commercial partners.

That will include private astronauts flying private spaceships.

Markarian 1216

Astronomers have found the old galaxy Markarian 1216 has a high concentration of dark matter at its core.

That assumes, of course, that dark matter exists at all.

Mass Driver?

The U. S. Navy is  developing an electromagnetic "railgun" as a weapon.

It could also be used to throw lunar resources into orbit as a mass driver.

PDS-70

Astronomers have found two planets orbiting PDS-70, a Sun-like star about 6 million years old and 370 light years away.

The planets are just emerging from the planetary disk.

Ed White

On this date in 1965, Ed White became the first American to walk in space.

He died in the Apollo 1 fire.

UFO Debris

On TUCKER CARLSON last night, Luis Elizondo said the U. S. Government is in possession of UFO debris.

He did not say UFOs are extraterrestrial.

Elizondo

Luis Elizondo, former head of the Pentagon's AATIP program, is talking about UFOs.

He argues the U. S. Government needs to take the subject more seriously.

Water

Scientists are now suggesting Earth's water came from "hyperactive comets."

Getting water onto the early Earth is a challenge.

Partners

Japan and the U. S. will cooperate in returning humans to the Moon, it has been announced.

The partnership could put a Japanese astronaut on the Moon.

Meteorites

The oldest collection of meteorites in the world may be on Chile's Altacama Desert.

Some found are over 1 million years old, and a couple are over 2 million years old.

Great Blue Spot

Scientists have found the magnetic field of Jupiter has changed since the 1970s.

Earth's magnetic field changes, too, but the change in Jupiter's seems connected to a feature called the Great Blue Spot.

Great Red Spot

Jupiter's Great Red Spot has been around for at least 400 years, but it may be dissipating.

Astronomers are observing changes in the Spot, including "flakes" and "blades" separating from it.

Scott Carpenter

On this date in 1962, Scott Carpenter launched into space.

He was the fourth American in space and the second to orbit Earth.

UFOs

According to Tucker Carlson, the Pentagon has admitted it's been studying UFOs, or UAP, for years.

UAP stands for Unidentified Aerial Phenomena.

BioSentinel

On BioSentinel, NASA will launch living things into deep space for the first time since 1972-- except for stowaway bacteria.

Scheduled for launch next year, the living things will be yeast cells.

Progress

On this date in 1927, Charles Lindbergh landed in France after his solo flight across the Atlantic.

Forty-two years later, on this date, the three astronauts of Apollo 10 were orbiting the Moon.

Herneus

Hermeus is a startup company planning to build a plane capable of flying at Mach 5.

If successful, it could compete with SpaceX' site-to-site BFR flights.

Apollo 10

On this date in 1969, Apollo 10 left for the Moon.

It was the "dress rehearsal" for the first lunar landing.

Supercomputer

The newest, fastest supercomputer in the world will soon be operational.

Spanning continents, it will manipulate immense amounts of data gathered by giant radio telescopes.

Perspective

Walmart reported quarterly revenues of $123 billion this morning.

That's nearly six times NASA's current annual budget.

Artemis

NASA is naming its new lunar project Artemis.

In Greek mythology, Artemis is the sister of Apollo.

Lunar Money

President Trump is asking Congress for an additional $1.6 billion for NASA to put astronauts on the Moon by 2024.

The plan is to land near the lunar south pole, which is emerging as an area of strategic importance.

Milky Way Merger

New research suggests the MilkyWay merged with another galaxy about five billion years ago.

The merger ignited a burst of star formation.

Blue Moon

Blue Origin is developing a large lunar lander that could deliver astronauts to the Moon.

BO says the lander could be ready by 2024.

Antimatter

Physicists have established that antimatter, like matter. expresses as both particle and wave.

That, in turn, says antimatter is also governed by quantum mechanics.

ISS Algae

ISS will soon begin an experiment using algae to produce breathable oxygen.

That would be a big step towards a Mars mission.

Supplying ISS

SpaceX successfully delivered supplies to ISS yesterday.

It was the company's 17th successful supply mission, and second with that specific Dragon capsule.

NoKo Rockets

North Korea test flew missiles over the weekend.

They were the first such tests in months.

UFOs

According to reports, the Pentagon has been studying the health effects of UFO encounters for years.

Also, the U. S. Navy is now encouraging its pilots to report UFO encounters.

Nova

Modern astronomers may have found the remains of a nova observed by Chinese astronomers over 2,000 years ago.

Specifically, the Chinese noted the nova in 48, B. C.

Asteroid Water

Scientists have found water bound in particles of the stony, presumably dry, asteroid Itokawa.

That strengthens the case for water coming to Earth in asteroids.

Lunar Smashup

An asteroid struck the Moon during January's lunar eclipse.

It left a crater 33 to 50 feet across.

Reusable Rockets

Chinese startup space companies are working to develop reusable launchers, with some early success.

SpaceX can reuse launchers.  Blue Origin is working on it.  NASA cannot.

No Life

A new study suggests Earth-like planets in close orbits around young M dwarf stars would lose their atmospheres to the star's intense radiation.

Therefore, there would be no life.

Moon Race

China says it plans to build a manned research station near the lunar south pole in about ten years.

The U. S. plans to return astronauts to the Moon by 2024.

New Physics?

A new study suggests the universe is expanding much faster than previously thought.

So fast, in fact, that a new physics might be required to explain it.

Life

A new theory holds that life may have evolved in this solar system before Earth was fully formed.

Some planetismials had everything necessary for life argues Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State.

Perspective

AT&T has announced quarterly revenues of nearly $45 billion.

That's more than twice NASA's annual budget.

Budweiser

Budweiser is marketing a beer celebrating Apollo.

This might be the summer of Apollo.

Crew Dragon

SpaceX' Crew Dragon had an issue during testing Saturday.

The capsule is scheduled for its first manned flight later this year.

Mars Stidy

A study from the Science and Technology Policy Institute, commissioned by NASA, concludes NASA cannot meet the goal of launching a manned Mars mission in 2033.

The study was done before the Trump administration established the goal of returning astronauts to the Moon by 2024.

Mercury's Core

New research using MESSENGER data suggests Mercury has a metallic core nearly as large as Earth's.

That's even though Earth's diameter is well over twice that of Mercury.

Space Investments

Investments in space was over $3 billion in 2018, a record.

The number of investors is also increasing.

Apollo 13

This date in 1970, Apollo 13 returned safely home.

Remarkably, to this day, no human has died in space.

Interstellar Meteors

A new study out of Harvard, no less, suggests interstellar meteors hit Earth with some regularity.

That would increase the chances of life spreading from star to star.

Solar Blobs

About every 90 minutes the Sun blasts out huge blobs of matter, according to a new study.

When these blobs collide with Earth's magnetosphere, they can affect terrestrial communications.

Proxima Centauri c?

Astronomers say there's probably a second planet orbiting Proxima Centauri.

If it's confirmed, the world would be at least 6 times as massive as Earth and far too cold to support life.

SpaceIL

SpaceIL. a private company based in Israel, crashed a probe into the Moon yesterday when the descent rocket failed to fire.

The company said it will try again in two or three years.

Methane

An ESA spacecraft orbiting Mars has found only traces of methane in the upper atmosphere.

Coupled with Curiosity's discovery of methane near the ground, the new results suggests something in the lower atmosphere is destroying methane.

Black Hole Pic

Using a worldwide network of telescopes, astronomers have photographed a black hole for the first time.

More specifically, they photographed the event horizon, as light does not escape a black hole..

Apollo

Historian Douglas Brinkley says the Apollo program cost $185 billion in current dollars spread over more than a decade.

That wouldn't be a huge federal program today.

Japan Moon

Japan is well into a project to develop the capability to build a lunar base using robots.

It plans to land astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

Alien Moon

Some UFOlogists have argued for decades that aliens warned NASA away from the Moon, and that huge alien installations exist on the far side.

Now, several nations are sending probes to the Moon, not to mention some private companies.  China has landed on the far side.  Where is everyone?

Gateway

NASA is beginning testing on five designs for its Lunar Gateway space station.

The Gateway will support lunar surface operations and manned missions to Mars.

Starliner

Boeing is delaying the test flight of its uncrewed Starliner capsule until at least August due to schedule pressure/

The first manned test flight is still expected this year.

Lunar South Pole

Both NASA and China are targeting the lunar South Pole-- NASA for the return to the Moon, and China for the site of a permanent base.

It's a new version of the Great Power game.

Bridenstine

NASA head Jim Bridenstine said yesterday he will consider all options to put astronauts on the Moon by 2024.

He said NASA will have a plan in two weeks.

ASAT

Last week, India successfully launched a test of a anti-satellite weapon.

India thus joins the US, China, and Russia in the ASAT club.

Apollo 11 At 50

The National Air and Space Museum has opened an Apollo 11 exhibit.

Thia year marks the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing.

Growing Glacierr

A new study finds a glacier on Greenland is growing, not shrinking, due to a colder North Atlantic current.

Scientists were surprised, but say the growth is temporary.

Pence

Vice President Mike Pence has announced the U. S. should return astronauts to the Moon within five years.

He argues the U. S. must maintain its dominance in space.

Old Stars

Astronomers have found some of the oldest stars in the universe in the central bulge of the Milky Way.

The stars are 12.8 billion years old.

Chafee

Northrup Grumman is naming an ISS supply ship after astronaut Roger Chafee.

Chafee died in the Apollo 1 fire, never having reached space.

Speeding Up

The National Space Council, according to executive director Scott Pace, should push NASA to return to humans to the Moon sooner than planned.

Vice President Mike Pence chairs the NSC.

Pulsar

Scientists have found a pulsar streaking away from a supernova explosion at about 2.4 million miles an hour.

The explosion happened about 10,000 years ago.

Delay

Boeing is delaying the next unmanned test flight of its Starliner crew capsule.

That also delays the first manned flight.

Space Wars

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan says Russia and China see space as a battlefield.

He argues the U. S. needs to respond.

Bennu

Asteroid Bennu has lots of accessible water according to the OSIRIS-REx probe orbiting it.

That's good news for future space exploration.

Sideshow

Jeff Bezos is currently involved in a sex scandal and a divorce, and Elon Musk is battling the Securities and Exchange Commission over his use of tweets.

How those issues will affect humanity's move into space is unclear.

Lunar Rover

Japan is working with Toyota to build a huge, manned lunar rover that could be ready by 2029.

The rover would be solar powered, carry up to four people, and have a range of over 6,000 miles.

Closest Planet

What's the closest planet to Earth?  In terms of average distance from the Sun, it's Venus.

Due to orbital geometry, however, for most of the time, the planet physically closest to Earth  is Mercury.

DM Tau

DM Tau is a small, young star 470 light years away.

A new study finds two rings of material orbiting the star.  Planets might be forming.

Al And Steve

On this date, Albert Einstein was born, and Stephen Hawking passed away.

Between them, they gave us much of the universe we know.

Uranus

On this date in 1781, Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.

It was the first planet discovered with a telescope.

Hopping Molecules

Data from NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter show that water molecules hop across the lunar surface.

The hopping is governed by the advance of heat throughout the long lunar day.

Water

A new study estimates there are between 100 and 400 billion gallons of water in near-Earth asteroids.

That's good news for future space explorers.

Possible Delay

The first launch of NASA's huge SLS rocket may be delayed again.  It's now set for 2020.

Originally, it was set for 2017.

Io

On this day in 1979, Voyager 1 discovered volcanic eruptions on Jupiter's moon, Io.

That clued scientists in that the moons of the gas giants might be very different than assumptions.

Hard On Mars

The drill bit on NASA's InSights lander has hit something hard below the surface of Mars.

Engineers are taking a couple weeks to determine how to proceed.

Kepler

NASA's Kepler planet hunting probe was launched ten years ago today.

Kepler has found more than 2,000 exoplanets, with more still to be confirmed.

Mars Water

A new study suggests huge impacts were responsible for the periods of surface water on Mars.

It probably weakens the case for life.

Rings

On this date in 1979, Voyager 1 discovered Jupiter's rings.

Since then, Uranus and Neptune have also been shown to have rings, which are likely transitory features.

Crew Dragon

SpaceX successfully launched its Crew Dragon capsule on an unmanned test flight this morning.

If all goes well, the company wants to begin flying astronauts as early as July.

Planet Nine

A new study holds Planet Nine, if it exists, will likely be found within a decade.

The study says it's likely 5 to 10 times as massive as Earth.

Finding Life

A robotic rover has dug down and found subsurface life in the Atacama Desert in Chile.

That's good news for future Mars exploration.

140 AU

Astronomer Scott Sheppard has found the body in the Solar System that is farthest from the Sun we've seen to date.

It's 140 AU out, or 140 times more distant from the Sun than Earth.

Newfound Galaxies

Astronomers in new studies have found 300,000 new galaxies.

Some 200 astronomers were involved.

Cosmos 482

Cosmos 482, a Soviet era Venus probe that failed to leave Earth orbit, may fall back to Earth this year.

Some large chunk of it will reach the surface.

Space Tourism

Russia will fly two tourists to ISS onboard the same Soyuz spacecraft in 2021.

The deal was brokered by Space Adventures.

Sample Snatcher

Japan's Hayabusa2 probe has successfully snatched samples from Asteroid Ryugu.

The samples are due on Earth in December 2020.

Space Force

President Trump signed a space policy directive Tuesday that orders the Department of Defense to create a Space Force as the sixth branch of the armed forces.

Congress still has the final say in the creation of such a force.

NASA

NASA's next annual budget will be $21.5 billion.

That's an increase of $1.6 billion.

Perspective

Wal-mart announce quarterly revenues this morning of $138.793 billion.

That's seven times NASA's current annual budget.

Tombaugh

Om this date in 1930, Clyde Tombaugh, after a meticulous search, discovered Pluto.

Pluto has since been demoted to dwarf planet status, but that takes nothing away from Tombaugh's achievement.

Solar Flares

Astronomers are studying solar flares as a way to learn about solar systems.

Flares generally are associated with younger stars, and extremely powerful flares can affect entire systems.

Back To Luna

NASA wants to begin commercial missions to the Moon yet this year.

The agency plans to return astronauts to the lunar surface in 2028.

Tickets to Mars

Elon Musk tweeted recently that tickets to Mars will eventually cost less than $500,000, and maybe less than $100,000.

SpaceX plans to start flying people to Mars in the 2020s.

Opportunity

NASA has made its final attempt to contact the Opportunity rover on Mars.

Opportunity will go down as a remarkable success.

Mars One

The financial arm of the Mars One project to colonize Mars has gone bankrupt.

What that means for the overall effort is unclear.

Expanding Universe

A new study that measures the expansion of the universe like never before finds the expansion rate is quickening.

A new theory of physics may be necessary to explain it.

Branson

Sir Richard Branson hopes to fly into space July 16, the 50th anniversary of the launch of Apollo 11.

Virgin Galactic hopes to begin commercial suborbital flights this year.

Iran

Private satellite images suggest Iran attempted a space launch this week, but Iran has not confirmed a successful effort.

If there was a failure, it would be the second in less than a month.

Oumuamua

Scientists have been trying to determine what Oumuamua is since its discovery in October 2017.

The latest theory is that it's simply the remains of a dead comet.

Shepherd

On this date in 1971, Alan Shepherd hit a golf ball on the Moon.

Shepherd not only landed on the Moon, of course.  He was also the first American in space.

Seismometer

NASA's InSights lander is in the process of deploying a seismometer on Mars.

It will be the first scientific instrument deployed directly on the surface of another planet.

Beresheet

SpaceIL, a private company based in Israel, plans to become the first private firm to launch a lunar mission later this month.

The lander is named Beresheet, which in Hebrew means "In the beginning."

Far Side Oddity

China's  Chang'e 4 mission has found the lunar far side may get colder through the long lunar night than the near side does.

Exactly why that would be is still to be determined.

Dark Energy

A new study of quasars suggests dark energy may be getting stringer.

To explain that, a new physics might be needed.

Ham

On this day in 1961, NASA launched Ham the chimpanzee into space.

He was recovered unharmed.

KBO

Astronomers think they have found a Kuiper Belt object less than a mile wide.

If the discovery is confirmed, it will be the first in a class of medium-sized KBOs.

Tragic Week

This is annually a tough week at NASA.

Challenger was lost January 28, and Columbia February 1.

Titan's Atmosphere

A new study suggests Titan's thick atmosphere may be the result of heating organic materials deep inside the huge moon.

Scientists see Titan as a reasonable possible home for life.

Old Rock

A new study suggests that a rock collected on the Moon by Apollo 14 astronauts was likely blasted away from Earth about 4 billion years ago.

That was about the time life arose on Earth.

TRAPPIST-1

Studies suggest at least six of the planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system are rocky worlds.

That leaves life a possibility.

Opportunity

Opportunity landed on Mars 15 years ago today, and its 90-day mission became an extraordinary trek.

That trek might now be over.  NASA hasn't heard from the rover in months.

New Big Bang Theory

What came before the Big Bang?

A new theory says there was a mirror-image of our universe.

Saturn's Day

After roughly 400 years,, with the aid of the Cassini probe, astronomers have finally determined the length of a day on Saturn.

It is 10 hours, 33 minutes, and 38 seconds.

No Planet Nine?

A new study suggests a massive Planet Nine isn't necessary to explain the odd,  clumped orbits of  some bodies in the Kuiper Belt.

Many small objects could coll4ectively do the job, the study says, as long as their combined mass is enough.

Oumuamua

There is still some debate among scientists about whether Oumuamua, a visitor from beyond this solar system, is a natural object or an alien probe.

Most say it's natural, but a few are still arguing it could be a probe.

Saturn's Ring

A new study suggests Saturn's rings may be only 10 million years old.

The outside estimate is 100 million years, within the reign of the dinosaurs on  Earth.

Cotton

Cotton plants on Chang'e 4 that had sprouted on the lunar surface have died in the cold lunar night.

It was a first step towards exploring the biological potential of the lunar environment.

China Moon

At a press briefing, China has laid out a comprehensive program of lunar exploration.

It includes a manned base open to other nations.

Saturn-Neptune Gap

In our solar system, there is a gap in size between Saturn and Neptune, but there are worlds that fill that gap in other systems.

Astronomers think understanding why that is could lead to a new theory of planetary formation.

Moons And Life

A new study suggests moons containing substantial water may be geologically dead, reducing the odds for life.

An exception may be moons similar to Saturn's Enceladus.

Barnard's Star b

According to new research, if the planet orbiting Barnard's Star is a super-Earth, it may be able to support life.

Barnard's Star is only 6 light years away.

FRBs

Astronomers have found 13 mire fast radio bursts, or FRBs, including the second repeater.

Though they are likely natural phenomena, the possibility remains that they are intelligent signals.

Hubble

The main camera of the Hubble Space Telescope is out of operation, but three secondary cameras are still functioning.

NASA says the problem is a hardware glitch, and backup systems might bring the camera back online.

PROJECT BLUE BOOK

A series dramatizing Project Blue Book premiered on The History Channel last night.

That network has carried UFO-related programming for many years.

Predictions

Science journalist and UFO researcher Linda Moulton Howe had predicted 2018 would be the year the government would announce that we are not alone in the universe.  That didn't happen.

Undeterred, she is now predicting it will happen in early 2019.

Acquisitions

Deep Space Industries, an asteroid mining and smallsat firm, has been acquired by Bradford Space.

Recently, another asteroid mining concern, Planetary Resources, was acquired by ConsenSys.

Yutu 2

China's Chang'e 4 mission to the far side of the Moon seems to be going well.

Its Yutu 2 rover is now on the surface and functioning.

OSIRIS-REx

Perhaps overshadowed by the successes of New Horizons and Chang'e 4, OSIRIS-REx has gone into orbit around its target asteroid.

That mission seeks to return samples to Earth.

Chang'e 4 Success

China's Chang'e 4 spacecraft has successfully landed on the far side of the Moon, a first for humanity.

If all goes well, the probe will spend the next few months sending back data.

Flyby

New Horizons successfully flew by Ultima Thule yesterday.

Getting all the data from the encounter back here will take about 20 months.